Minute Problems
by xdeathbyheadphonesx
Summary: Life was not to be predictable; it was terrible, wonderful, and ludacris.  Just like him.  Amuto, Oneshot.


**Minute Problems:;**

_Life was not to be predictable; it was terrible, wonderful, and ludacris. Just like him._

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><p>Mornings sucked, especially when she knew there was no requirement to getting out of bed. By ten-thirty, however, her internal clock refused to be put on "sleep" mode and continued ringing until she was fully conscious.<p>

Groaning, she pulled herself out of bed and rubbed sleep from her eyes. She inwardly smiled at the sight of the dormant eggs lying on her desk. Turning away, she headed towards her mirror to fix her beadhead before heading down to fix herself a late breakfast.

Her image was horrific; rosy hair stuck up at all angles, and - perhaps it was her vivid imagination - she swore she could see her morning breath radiating from between her lips in a haze.

Disgusting.

Pulling a brush through her tangled locks, she cringed as it ripped some multiple strands from her head. Finishing the grueling task, she placed down her brush and reached for her barette.

Which did not happen to be where she had left it the evening prior.

Puzzled, she glanced over her dresser and mulled over the floor, brows furrowed together. Where had it gone...?

"Looking for this?"

Spinning around and inhaling too much too quickly, Hinamori Amu chocked on the intake of air at the sight of another figure standing across her room.

"I-Ikuto. Get out of my room!"

The boy smirked, mischevious as always, holding out her barette. "Wouldn't you like your hairpiece back first?"

Amu scowled. That damn cat had a way of peeving her every time he made his presence known. Occasionally - rarely - she could enjoy his company, but moments like these pushed those somewhat-fond memories out of her mind.

"I would, seeing as _you _unrightfully have it. Give it back and go."

Ikuto snickered behind his free hand, the way he always did when he was messing with her.

"I thought you would be happy to see me, Amu-chan."

"D-don't call me t-that!" She cried, storming forward with an extended hand, attempting to snatch her barette back. To her dismay, Ikuto jerked his hand back, causing her to slide into him.

"My, I guess I was mistaken. You _are _happy to see me," he purred, ears perking from beneath his messy hair and tail swishing out from behind him.

"You wish! Perv!" Amu pushed herself off him and staggered backward, glowering. "Give me my barette!"

Ikuto fondled the object, staring at it intently as he turned it this way and that.

"Does it really matter so much to you? It isn't as if you have anyone to impress. I adore you whether you're bathed or not."

"You're disgusting!"

"How so? I'm only saying that I'll love you either way."

"Y-you don't l-love me," Amu snapped, refusing to acknowledge the idea. Of course, it was a joke, anything that sounded stupid and came out of Ikuto's mouth was.

On the contrary, his face went blank as he challenged her.

"How do you know that?"

Tail swishing back and forth, he ambled in her direction and stopped half a foot in front of her.

"W-what are you doing?" Amu questioned, seeing the spark in his eye. Nothing like cat mischief early in the morning to throw a girl's day.

"Hm? Nothing."

The two stood awkwardly for a moment before he leaned forward enough to touch his nose to hers, making her face go cherry red.

"I'll give your hair clip back if you give me something in return."

"Forget it!"

Ikuto raised an eyebrow at her, pulling back to stand up straight.

"Oh? I suppose you're not in need of this then." Without another word, he headed toward her balcony door and stepped outside, Amu chasing after him.

"Where are you going?" She demanded, lingering in the doorway as he leaned against her balcony railing.

"I'm not going anywhere," Ikuto chided. "Silly girl."

"Then why are you o-out there?"

Ikuto peered at her a moment before smirking again, albiet behind his hand, as if it weren't damn obvious that his maniacal expression was still there.

"Well...seeing as you made it quite clear that you aren't desperately in _need_ of this," the cat boy taunted, holding up her barette. "I figured I'd take it off your hands for good."

"N-no!" She cried, daring to take a step closer. "B-bring it back!"

Again his eyebrow darted up, silently questioning her actions.

"If you want it back, I want something in return," Ikuto reminded her, coming to stand in front of her once more.

Amu inwardly cringed. Stupid cat. Always wanting something of a bargain and always something perverse.

"Like...?" Amu dared to question, knowing it was the only way to get it back.

Ikuto tilted his head, ears twitching at her inquiry.

"I don't know. _Something _that's worth my while. After all, I'm here to see you."

"You're here to annoy me!"

"Now now, that's no way to be making a compromise, Amu-chan."

"Quit c-calling me that!" The name wasn't lost on her, seeing as her parents still used it, but coming from his mouth it sounded dirty. Perhaps she just assumed everything that fell from his lips was dirty. Maybe he was poisoning her mind. "Just give it back."

"What do I get in return?"

Amu hesitated, staring up at him as her heart pounded nervously in her chest. Being vulnerable around him made things worse, so saying something along the lines of, _"Um...I could buy you chocolate" _would just elicit a smirk or a snicker before he probed on.

Losing her stamer, she sucked in her breath and put on her usual facade.

"Name your price."

Ears twitching again, he slid past her into her room, and she could only do so much as to follow. He stopped in the middle of her room, pondering.

"Come here," he demanded, hand still up to his mouth in thought. Unhappily, she abided and came to stand before him at a somewhat reasonable distance.

Ikuto sighed.

"Closer."

Amu's eye involuntarily twitched as she took a miniscule step closer, only to be met with a disapproving gaze. Swallowing her pride, she inched her way out of her comfort zone to stand less than a foot away from him, keeping her eyes on the ground.

She wouldn't look at him. Looking at him would cause something _bad _to happen. It did. It would.

No. She would _not _look up.

"Amu..." His voice trailed from above her.

She wore an eminent scowl as she lifted her eyes to gaze at him. Ikuto hadn't moved an inch, but there was that feeling in the air. Something would happen, and any second now.

"W-what?"

Her feet almost swept out from under her as he cast an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Amu found herself with her hands pinned to his chest, having failed to push him away, staring up into his dark blue eyes.

His nose touched hers again, and she found herself holding her breath out of fear. No. No, no, no.

"Well?"

"W-well what?" She nearly screamed, squirming in his arms, attempting to free herself.

"_Well_...if I initiate anything, it isn't really coming from _you _now is it?"

Amu's face heated in a mixture of fury and embarrassment; namely embarrassment. Unable to control herself, Amu impulsively spat her reply.

"I am _not _kissing you!" After her outburst, the world seemed to stop for a moment. The silence around them was deafening, although that could be greatly due to the fact that she was - now aside from Ikuto - the only one home.

A smirk began forming on his face, which eventually formed into a snicker, and that snicker eventually became a laugh.

"W-what is so funny?"

He smiled down at her, a rare spectacle.

"You're cute when you're embarrassed," he chided, not loosening his grip one bit.

"Wait...you d-don't want a k-kiss?"

His bright smile returned to a smirk.

"Unless you have a better idea..."

Amu's face reddened again. _Not _kissing him.

However, if she _didn't _kiss him, she wouldn't get her barette back.

Amu spent the next minute staring the cat down before puffing her cheeks as she lost her pride and gave in.

"F-fine."

Standing expectantly, Amu waited for something to happen, though nothing did. Confused, she looked up to Ikuto for an answer.

"I told you," he reminded her, "it isn't giving me something in return if I'm the one to do it."

That really unnerved her. Agreeing to kiss him was terrible, but having to be the one to initiate it?

Oi.

Amu glared at Ikuto for another moment before shakily pushing herself onto her toes, continuing to glare at him closer to eye-level. Sucking up her pride and a decent gulp of air, she leaned forward and quickly pressed her lips to his before pulling away and wiggling out of his arms.

"G-give me my b-barette," she demanded. Amu had meet his request, now he had to meet hers.

Ikuto stared at her blankly before his lips pulled into a smirk again.

"W-what now?"

"You didn't have to actually kiss me," he retorted, openly smirking at the enjoyment he got out of the situation. "A kiss on the cheek would have sufficed."

"Y-y-you didn't say that!" Amu cried, hysterical that she'd given up a kiss to him when she hadn't needed to.

"I never said otherwise either," Ikuto playfully reminded her. Holding to his word, though, he came over to her and pressed her barette into her hand. Without another word, he headed toward her door.

"Oh, Amu-chan?" He called over his shoulder, glancing back at her. "You didn't actually have to kiss me. If you'd been patient enough, I'd have given it back to you either way."

"Stupid cat!" Amu called after him as he jumped up onto her railing and leapt off before she could get ahold of him. "Agghhh."

Amu stood at her door a second, making sure he wasn't coming back before slamming it shut and wandering back to her mirror.

Stupid, perverted cat.

She placed the clip into her hair and headed downstairs, only having her recognition when her foot reached the bottom step.

She hadn't bothered to lock her balcony door. As much as she despised him at the moment, maybe part of her wanted to be able to see him again.

Maybe.

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><p>First SC fic. Reviews are appreciated.<p> 


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